Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell - Hardcover

Dyche, John David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1935191594 ISBN 13: 9781935191599

Publisher: ISI Books, 2009

Synopsis

As the GOP leader in the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell is the highest-ranking Republican in America. But surprisingly little is known about this skilled and powerful politician. Now, fellow Kentuckian and political columnist John David Dyche offers an engrossing inside look at Senator McConnell's unlikely rise. From McConnell's childhood in the Democrat-dominated Deep South - where he was stricken with polio and endured a long and painful recovery - through his political coming of age in the civil rights and Goldwater eras, through his ascendance during the Reagan and Gingrich revolutions, and up through the present, Dyche chronicles both the senator's increasing conservatism and his considerable strategic and tactical talents. The author also reveals how McConnell carefully crafted a strong statewide GOP structure in long-Democratic Kentucky - a structure that remained intact in 2008 even as Republicans nationwide were being trounced at the polls. "Republican Leader" provides a fascinating look into the values, opportunities, and successes, as well as the setbacks and compromises, of one of America's most influential politicians.

About this title

Review

An enlightening look at the Republicans’ last line of defense against the Obama juggernaut. — National Review Online|""Mitch McConnell, unlike more flamboyant Washingtonians, is conspicuous for his competence. He is a professional legislator, a master mechanic of the lawmaking process, and a uniquely skilled student of the Senate’s unique intricacies and subtleties. He has overcome the handicap of having, in National Review’s description, 'an owlish, tight-lipped public demeanor reminiscent of George Will,' and has become Washington’s most important Republican and second-most important elected official. John David Dyche's biography, which is respectful without being reverent, takes the measure of this remarkable man."" — George F. Will|""An essential reference to a man who has made himself essential to the future of the Republican Party."" — Al Cross Director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues

About the Author

John David Dyche is a native of London, Kentucky, and a graduate of Centre College and Harvard Law School, where he was elected marshal of his class. A practicing lawyer, he writes a political column for the Louisville Courier-Journal, provides political commentary for Kentucky Educational Television, and has published articles in the Weekly Standard, among other periodicals.

About this edition

• Publisher: ISI Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1935191594
• ISBN 13: 9781935191599
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 350